Risk of Assault High for Primary School Teachers in UK

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Primary school pupils are more likely to be violent than those in secondary schools, a new survey of teachers in the UK has suggested.

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The poll covering over 1000 teachers revealed that over one-fourth had been assaulted. One teacher even reported receiving death threats from a pupil's family.

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Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said they had been punched, kicked, scratched and bitten.

Stabbing took place in one in 100 incidents.

Forty-eight percent of primary school teachers reported physical aggression by students compared to 20 percent by those teaching at secondary school level.

It was revealed that dealing with poor behaviour disrupted class 97 percent of times when it occurred.

Although students generally assaulted other children, 26 percent of staff said they had been the victims of pupils' attacks.

About 4.5 percent of staff reported being physically hurt by a pupil while 40 percent said they considered quitting the profession because of children's bad behaviour.

Sixty percent said pupils' behaviour had worsened over the last five years. A mere 3.3 percent thought it had improved.

"I have had a threat to my life from a parent because I told a child to complete their homework," Times Online quoted one head of department at a state primary school in Essex, as saying.

The teacher added: "It was threatened that they and their family would kill me when I came to or from school."

Another department head from a state secondary school in Leicestershire said: "I have been physically assaulted twice. Both times violent behaviour was aimed at another student but in their rage hit me.

"[I have been] sexually assaulted twice ... I felt like going off sick but didn't despite being physically sick each morning at the thought of going to work and wondering whether my teeth were going to get knocked out. I feel that we get no support from government - they have no idea of the reality of inner-city schools."

Almost one in 15 staff said they took leave from work because of the effects of disruptive behaviour.

Twenty-six percent of the teachers from primary, secondary and further education colleges were dissatisfied with their school's behaviour policy.

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